Free lawyers for low-income families.
Find how to a free legal consultation near you, online or over the phone. There are many free, pro-bono lawyers and attorneys that help low income families, seniors and the disabled with civil matters. Locate government programs, non-profits or attorneys from charities that give free advice to clients or answer legal questions. Learn more on where to get legal consultations from free lawyers in your state.
Many of the consultations, as well as the non-profits that offer them, are paid for by the federal government Legal Services Corporation, or LSC. The government pays for free lawyers to help low and moderate income families as well as senior citizens across the nation. People of all backgrounds including the elderly, veterans, families with children, immigrants and many others can get legal advice for free near them or over the phone. In addition, LSC is also the largest non-profit organization that provides legal aid as well as representation in court to the poor.
The types of civil cases covered by the free legal consultations are extensive. The pro-bono attorneys support a wide variety of needs, including free emergency legal consultants. The local lawyers that are part of the organization offer services as well as other resources that help people who are facing foreclosure, bankruptcy, eviction, domestic violence, and the attorneys offer free legal aid for many other situations.
Both local and national free legal services are coordinated. The national LSC organization works with pro-bono law firms as well as volunteer attorney across the country. Free legal consultations can also be done over the phone, remotely on video chat or online. The goal is to ensure that people who need free legal advice can get it ASAP, no matter where they live. Low income families or senior citizens who need the assistance of lawyers, attorneys and other legal professionals will have a place to go that is near them to for support.
How to get free lawyer consultations for low-income families
There are non-profit or pro-bono firms, free volunteer attorneys or lawyers or government offices, in all states, as listed below. Any pro-bono or government supported firms that is helping the less fortunate needs to comply with all federal government regulatory and statutory requirements. Find a free attorney for advice, either locally in person or for a phone consult, near you below.
In total, Legal Services Corporation partners hundreds of independent, non-profit law firms at the state, city and county level, including some that will be near you and local. Or a phone call can be arranged with a free lawyer for a consultation. Together these various firms operate thousands offices across the nation. Almost all cities and counties are covered.
The lawyers will provide free legal consultations to low or moderate income families, clients with no money or unemployed people in all 50 states. In fact, almost five million low-income people receive consultations or some form of free legal aid (or representation) every year. They offer services at no charge to those who qualify. Pro bono lawyers will also help, with either affordable rates or free services. Find a pro bono lawyer near you.
Requirements for free legal advice
A wide variety of low-income people can receive free legal representation or consultations from these services. They include low and moderate income people or those facing poverty. Typical clients are the working poor, renters who are facing an eviction, veterans, single moms, or families with children. The disabled can also get legal consultations for free over the phone. Senior citizens can also get support no matter their income.
There may be free legal aid from volunteers or pro-bono firms for farmers, low income people with disabilities, homeowners who have received a foreclosure notice, victims of domestic violence or natural disasters, and the elderly. Housing, including illegal evictions or housing discrimination, are also a priority for many of the free law firms.
Most people who ask for help from an attorney are women or even single mothers. In fact, three out of four clients of the program are low-income females, many of whom are struggling to keep their families safe as well as their children together. A large number of single moms also request immediate help from a pro-bono law firm. However there are no gender or race requirements.
Overall, the individuals and families who seek free legal assistance from a lawyer tend to be the most vulnerable among us. They also come from very diverse backgrounds and they are a reflection of our nation. Clients encompass all races, ethnic groups and ages.
In total, it is estimated that over 50 million people, including almost 20 million children, are eligible for some form of free legal advice from attorneys supported by the Legal Services Corporation or their local non-profit law firms near you. There are some income guidelines that need to be met in order to be eligible for aid.
Types of legal advice free or consultations available from lawyers
While the Legal Services Corporation, partner non-profit organizations as well as attorneys offer support and provide a wide range of free legal advice to clients, here are some more common items that people need help with. Free consultations can found near you for some or all of the following topics. They include the following.
Foreclosure Legal Aid and Housing Assistance: Over 25 percent of the clients who are seeking help from the program involve foreclosures or evictions. These cases can range from people who need help to prevent a foreclosure or modify their loan, resolve landlord-tenant disputes, legal counsel that can assist renters who have received an eviction notices if their landlord is being foreclosed on, etc.
- Free attorneys can even provide help to individuals who are trying to maintain federal government housing subsidies such as section 8. Learn more on how lawyers can help modify home loans and provide foreclosure prevention advice.
Eviction defense, housing discrimination, and other tenant assistance programs are also provided as part of these free legal services. Hundreds of non-profit law firms that are part of the Legal Services Corporation network or a pro-bono firm support low income renters to ensure they have a home to live in and that they are not illegally evicted by a property owner.
- Whether it is a landlord that refuses to make repairs to an apartment, a property owner that discriminates and will not lease a home to a minority or disabled person, or some other matter, free legal aid can be used. The process will be comprehensive and address all applicable housing regulations for that state. Find more details on attorneys that offer eviction defense.
Family law: Attorneys will help victims of domestic violence by obtaining restraining and protective orders. They will also assist family members obtain guardianship for children without parents, offer free legal in-person advice to help parents obtain and keep custody of their children if needed, and a number of other services can be provided for other family law matters. This is the most common need that people have, as almost one third of all cases closed by the local programs are related to family law cases.
- Free divorce lawyers help low-income families, women facing DV or abuse as well as the poor. The services are part of the Family Law process, and people with no or little money will get help. Get assistance with separation orders, child custody disputers or support payments, free divorce attorneys for a court appearance and more. Locate other options for a free divorce lawyer.
Consumer Free Legal Issues: About 10 percent of all cases to the program involve protecting the elderly, minorities, the disabled, and other vulnerable groups from being victimized by unscrupulous banks, lenders, or other local businesses. Free legal advice is also available from local lawyers or over the phone at these non-profit law firms to help people file for bankruptcy when appropriate.
- Another service offered by some firms is they can often help people manage their debts and deal with creditors as well as aggressive collectors. This form of assistance is covered by LSG guidelines as well. Free lawyer consultations can be done over the phone as well about debt issues. Click here to read more on how lawyers can provide legal support and arbitration for debts settlement.
Elder law and senior citizens - Some non-profit firms offer elder law assistance programs. This means they specialize on supporting people over the age of 60 and that is all they do. The free legal advice and representation is targeted at issues that senior citizens, retirees, their caregivers, surviving spouses or children and older Americans face. Read more on Elder Law attorneys.
Income Maintenance: Over 10 percent of the clients need help in dealing with their employers or filling applications for public aid from government programs, including disability benefits. The legal assistance provided will help people apply for or retain both state and federal government benefits such as disability or HUD housing to which they are entitled. Lawyers can also help low income families get government benefits, such as food stamps or Medicaid. Income Maintenance is also a key service for households living in poverty. Learn more on, and find a social security disability lawyer near you.
Free Civil Court Representation Legal Advice - Attorneys may represent a client in local court at no cost to them. They will go over the process, answer any questions that the client or the judge has, and in general provide the assistance that the individual needs for their civil case. Lawyers from across the community work as part of the Legal Services Corporation organization to provide this service to the poor.
Utility and Heating Issues disconnection prevention from free lawyers - Hundreds of thousands of families and individuals face disconnection of their utilities, electric, gas, and heat every year. Some shut-offs may be questionable or illegal. Attorneys can help you get your utility service reconnected, or ensure it stays on from the start. Read more on the laws for utility and heating disconnections for your state.
Veterans and free legal consultations for active military members can get free legal services. Advice is provided to current members of the armed forces, veterans, and also to their immediate family members. A wide range of issues can be addressed by Legal Services Corporation sponsored attorneys. Some examples include assistance in applying for the VA benefits they are entitled too, housing matters, filing for disability claims, and much more.
Lawyers help with bankruptcy for free - A number of volunteer and pro-bono attorneys offer help to low-income families that need or want to file bankruptcy. Clients can get advice on understanding their options, the process, and what they can do to eliminate debts as well as rebuild their credit. Get questions answered, review the process and more. Continue to learn about low-income bankruptcies lawyers you.
Find a free lawyer or get legal advice for free near you
Many pro-bono or free law firms will have waiting lists of those who want to consult them, or they need to turn clients away. There will be free emergency legal consultations in some cases though, and they will not have a waiting list. Or some low income families may be referred to a paralegal for aid. Another option for immediate help is the LawHelp.org legal site.
Select your state below to find free legal consultations. Or you can contact the main federal office at 202.295.1500 to learn more about the free legal aid programs in your state and local area or to get a question answered over the phone for free. The caller may be referred to a pro-bono firm or volunteer attorney, in which they can ask a lawyer their questions for free. Or find information below on the services and participating attorneys in your local community, near you.
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York State
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Additional free government legal programs
There are other federal government as well as non-profit resources that offer free lawyer help as well. They are available in state and counties across the county and focus on low to moderate income households, immigrants, seniors and others. Contact LSC for referrals to lawyers.
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